


mistletoe

by okayuhhyikes



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Anyways, Some bad language, hi, my boys - Freeform, thats it, they are dumb and in love, this was for it secret santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 15:22:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17686034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okayuhhyikes/pseuds/okayuhhyikes
Summary: summary: two idiots during Christmas





	mistletoe

“HEY HO HO HOES” Richie grinned as he bounced into Mike’s barn, cheeks red, present in hand… and an hour late.

  
The others were sitting on the beanbags near one of the corners, Stan gesturing wildly and Ben eyeing Bev out of the corner of his eye. he jumped almost completely off the bean bag when Richie barged in.

“Richie, really?? You’re late, you don’t get the privilege of saying that.” Eddie grumbled as he stormed past Richie with two cups of hot chocolate in his hands, handing one to Mike and sitting down with a glare. Before Richie has gotten there, he had asked the others about 10 times where he was and if he was even coming and muttering about how he ‘shouldn’t have worn this stupid sweater if the idiot wasn’t even here to see him in it’.

  
Richie didn’t need to know any of that.

  
“Aww Eds baby, I’m sorry, didn’t mean to stand ya up sweet cheeks. Just finishing my secret santa gift!” he beamed and held up a bag with newspaper stuffed in it.  
Bev watched Eddie roll his eyes and subtly try to run a hand through his hair and smiled.

  
Standing, she declared, “Alright boys, Secret Santa time!!!! Richie, put your gift in the middle and then we’ll exchange.”

  
Ben nodded attentively and then immediately went and sat around the presents as the others followed, Stan still talking about the horror movie industry to Mike and Bill, both nodding wisely as he grew louder.

  
“Am I saying Hereditary was BAD? No, I don’t think so, I personally enjoyed it, the problem is – “

  
“Stan sweetheart, can we unwrap presents?” Mike cut in quietly, putting a hand on his arm. Stan snapped his mouth shut, rolled his eyes and nodded, crossing his legs and plopping next to Mike.

  
The seven of them looked at each other for a minute, and Richie opened his mouth to break the silence.

  
“Okay lads, who’s guessing first??”

  
___________________

 

It was almost a half hour past when they had started, wrapping paper strewn everywhere and Christmas music floating up quietly from the stereo. Bill finished unwrapping Ben’s present to him and quirked his mouth into a half smile as he unearthed a book from the meticulous tape job Ben had completed weeks ago.

  
“House of L-Leaves?” he asked, flipping it to read the summary. Ben moved closer to him, red faced, and started explaining the plot in great detail as the others looked on.  
Stan was playing with a heavy silver ring given to him by Bev as he leaned against Mike, who was wrapped in a thick wool scarf with a sheep pattern adorning it, ‘f-f-for cold d-days on the f-farm’ Bill had stuttered out when it was opened. Ben and Bev had also gravitated towards each other, Bev laying half in Ben’s lap swatching the shades of a Morphe palette Eddie had snagged for her. Next to Ben lay a crystalized pot with a succulent in it, a gift from Stan, who had witnessed the magic of Ben’s green thumb before. Richie, on the other side of Ben, was twirling the putty Mike had found for him in his hands, the second part of the gift already safely tucked in his pocket. The note on the baggie of weed had read, ‘to help you relax. love mike :)’. Richie had high-fived Mike when he opened it.

  
Ben’s explanation was winding down, and poor Eddie was biting his lip anxiously, having yet to open his gift. Which meant…

  
“That’s right Spaghetti, I’m your Secret Santa!! Go on, open it!!” Richie shoved the bag over to Eddie, who groaned but took it anyway.

  
“Okay, you guys have to turn around, you know I hate-“

  
“Yes, you hate opening gifts in front of people, okay” Bev cut in, smacking her gum as she shut her eyes. The others shut their eyes and Bill turned around while still reading the first chapter of his gift.

  
They heard the sound of the newspaper being ripped out, and,

  
Silence.

  
“It’s mistletoe!!! Give me a smooch, sweetheart!!!” Richie puckered his lips, eyes still squeezed shut.

  
More silence.

  
Bev nudged Richie, who opened his eyes.

  
Eddie sat, staring down at the plant in his hands, bag discarded, face red.

  
“Uh, Eds?”

  
“This isn’t funny, Richie” He said lowly, voice shaking.

  
The losers watched, in complete silence, as Eddie stood up, the mistletoe falling out of his lap. All 5 feet 3 inches of him strode to Richie and slapped the side of his face he could reach.

  
The slap rang out with a resounding CRACK throughout the barn as Richie’s head whipped to the side, glasses falling off as a hand flew to clutch at his stinging cheek. Eddie stormed out of the room as fast as he could, head down, but none of the losers missed the tears threatening at the corner of his eyes.

  
The door slammed and the room was still silent, everyone in shock, Richie holding his cheek and the mistletoe lying abandoned, as It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas started up softly.

  
_______________

 

Richie sat on a stool in near the fridge as Bev smoothed a bandaid onto the cut on his cheek his glasses had left. His eyes were low and his leg bounced wildly. Bev could hear his teeth chattering despite the warmth from the space heater. She touched his other cheek softly.

  
“Put on your coat, Richie. Go talk to him.”

  
He looked at her desperately, pleading, for once, silently.

  
“He’s your best friend, Rich. You hurt his feelings. You need to communicate with him.”

  
“I- What if he doesn’t want to forgive me?”

  
“He will, honey. Go explain to him.”

  
Richie stood, shrugging on his coat and grabbing the mistletoe from the ground as he made his way to the door.

  
It had started to snow, but Richie could make out a little figure sitting against the side of the barn, and slowly made his way over, sliding down next to him.  
Eddie sniffled viciously and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

  
Without a word, Richie shrugged off his coat and handed it to him. Eddie held it in his lap.

  
“What the fuck, Richie.”

  
“Yeah, not my best idea. Giving the kid I have a crush on mistletoe for Christmas was an idiot move. I was also gonna give you this after you unwrapped the other one, though.”  
Richie pulled a car key from his pocket. Eddie’s mouth dropped open.

  
“Okay, so it’s not exactly what you think. This is another key to my truck, because I know you love to drive and your mom won’t let you get a car, so I thought, I dunno, this might help. You can use it whenever.” Richie muttered as he pressed the key into Eddie’s waiting hand, shuffling his feet in the frozen dirt as he did.

  
“And uh. Here’s this.” The mistletoe was also handed to Eddie. “I Thought it was a cute way to tell you. Bev helped me but, I see now it was a bit much. I know just because you like boys doesn’t mean you like me, but I really like you, Eds. You’re brave, so brave, and smart and kind and fucking hilarious. You’re my best friend, and I know I ruined things, and I’m sorry. Could we- Let’s just go back to normal, please Eds?”

  
Eddie closed his hands around the mistletoe, still staring at it.

  
He slowly lifted his hand above his head and made eye contact with Richie, brown meeting blue.

  
“Eddie, wha-“

  
Eddie surged forward awkwardly, catching Richie’s lips in a kiss. It was wet and cold and all too short, but they both pulled back giddy. Eddie’s hand swiped over the bandaid on Richie’s cheek, and then pulled him closer, smiling. They kissed again, gently, Richie melting into Eddie’s grip on his cheek, sighing contentedly into his warm mouth. Eddie pulled away to grin and wink at him.

  
“I like you too, idiot. Merry Christmas.”

  
__________

 

When they walked back in 20 minutes later holding hands, cheeks pink, hair tussled, and covered in snow, Bill placed 5 dollars into Ben’s waiting hand.


End file.
